A typical router or switch configuration includes a chassis which contains basic components such as power supply, fans, and slots where interface cards and network modules that are inserted into the slots. The line cards which are inserted into card slots and modules which are inserted into module slots handle packet ingress and egress and other networking functions. Line cards provide one or more interfaces over which traffic flows. Thus, depending on the number of slots and interfaces, a switch or a router can be configured to work with a variety of networking protocols. Some switches are fixed configuration switches that do not use line cards to implement interfaces.
Network module and interface card developers are constantly developing new configurations having different dimensions, connector configurations, and electrical requirements. Customers for routers and switches are concerned that their investment will be made obsolete when new, higher performance modules or interfaces are introduced that are not compatible with a purchased router or switch. Additionally, customers may initially purchase devices configured to accept modules of one configuration set and then decide that the use of another configuration would be beneficial.
The challenges in the field of communications continue to increase with demands for more and better techniques having greater flexibility and adaptability. Therefore, a need has arisen for a new system and method for providing reconfigurable slots in a router chassis.
Accordingly, improvements are required to protect customer investments and provide compatibility with new products. One example of an approach to provide a new interface with backward compatibility is disclosed in a co-pending, commonly assigned patent application entitled Improved Connector Assembly Including Legacy and Extension Parts That Maintains Backward Compatibility (amended), application Ser. No. 10/227,472, filed Aug. 23, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.
That application discloses an HWIC (High Speed WAN Interface Card) connector having a legacy part compatible with switches configured to utilize legacy WIC cards and an extension part utilized by HWIC cards.
Accordingly, new solutions to provide compatibility with legacy products and enable reconfiguration important to the industry.